Switch cover and support



1,450,046 w. J. NEWTON SWITCH COVER AND SUPPORT Filed Jan. 15, 1920ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 27, 1923.

UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM J. NEWTON, F BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNCR T0 HARVEYHUBBELL, INCORPORATED, OF BEIDGEIORT, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORA- TION OFCONNECTICUT.

swrron COVER AND SUPPORT.

Application filed January 13, 1920. Serial No. 351,269.

To all whom it may concern:

- Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. NEWTON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Bridgeport, county of Fairfield, State of Connecticut, haveinvented an Improvement in Switch Covers and Supports, of which thefollowing is a specification.

At the prewnt time various forms of locking mechanisms for switches,especially on automobiles, as for locking the magneto, batteries, or thelighting system, are in use. It is usual in these mechanisms, so far asI am aware, to lock the switches themselves, either singly or jointly.

vide a switch cover and support having in its face plate an opening forwhat I term .a disappearing door because when open it is moved to therear of the face plate practically out of sight although it does notdisappear literally, because when open its front edge projects a smalldistance for wardly of the face plate so that it may be grasped andpulled to closed position. This door, when locked, encloses and concealsthe switches, and when unlocked, springs from its position so that theswitches are accessible and may be manipulated inthe usual manner. Theinvention thus provides a I means for concealingthe switch mechanisms,for preventing access to them by tamperers, and for enclosing them fromflying particles, and to attain these desirable ends I provide a lockingmechanism of simple structure for the so-called disappearing door.

With the above and other objects in view the invention will now be fullydescribed and hereinafter specifically claimed.

In the accompanying drawing forming a art of this specification.

' i re 1 is a front elevation of the novel switsi box with thedisappearing door in closed position;

Figure 2 a side elevation corresponding with Figure 1;

Figure 3 a front elevation with the dis ,appearing door in open ordisappearing position;

Figure 4 a side elevation corresponding with Figure '3;

It is the object of this invention to pro-.

Figure 5 a section on the line 5-5 in Figure 3;

Figure 6 a rear elevation with the door closed;

Figure 7a rear elevation with the door open; and Figure 8 is aperspective View showing in detail certain of the elements of theinvention, disassembled.

2 0 denotes a plate which carries the switches and is secured at itsopposite ends to plates 25 which are in turn secured to the face plate21. The face plate 21 has an openlng 22 therein, in which is mounted thesocalled disappearing door 23. The switch mechanisms 24 are secured tothe plate 20 by means of screw bolts 24'. These mechanisms are ofconventional form so are not shown in detail. The face plate is spacedfrom the plate 20 and so located that the levers 24" for the switchmechanisms are directly beyond the opening in the face plate and whenthe door is in open position they will be accessible, as clearly shownin Fig. 3. The member 20' is a narrow plate closing the opening betweenthe lower edge of plate 20 and the rear of the face plate.

The plates 25 also form brackets or'supports for the door and lockingmember and the door is provided with cars 26, each of which comprises astrip of metal bent outward and back upon itself'as indicated at 27,thus providing parallel arms as indi cated at 28 and 29. The bracketspass between the parallel arms of the ears, and are pivoted thereto bypivot pins 30 which pass through the inner ends of the brackets and theinner lower corners of the parallel arms. The pivot pins have thereoncoil springs 31, the ends of which are attached locking member 36 whichwill be described.

When the catch is .engaged by the latch, the door will be in its closedposition and the bent portions of the ears will lie closely adjacent theupper edges of the brackets,

v as clearly shown in Figure 2. When the catch is released, the coilsprings will swing the door to its open or so-called disappear-.ingposition, as clearly shown in Figures 4.. and 5.

away arm. The cut away arm is provided with small cars 41 near its lowerend, and

on the lower end of the bracket which carries the arm with the catch aresmall ears 42. Ears 41 are set between ears 42, and the pivot pin 43,passing through perforations in the two sets of cars, pivots the U-shaped locking member to the bracket. A coil spring 44 onthe pivot pin,having ends bearing against the switch box and the lower end of the cutaway arm, latch in engagement with the catch, as will be readilyunderstood.

In the face plate and adjacent thegupper" end of arm 38 is a lock 45having a hub 46 and a barrel 47, the latter being provided with a cam,as indicated at 48, which is arranged to turn with the barrel when thelatter is operated by a key.

When the door is in its closed and locked position and access todesired,-a key is inserted in the lock and the barrel is rotated. Thecam carried thereby,

I past arm 38, coil spring j latch opening,

being made a proper length, pushes the upper inner wall of arm 38, andhence the locking member, against the action of spring 44, a sufiicientdistance to release the latch from the catch. Coil s ly' swing the doorto i ing position. When rings 31 immediates open ordisappearthe cam hasturned and the rests against the bracket. When the front end of the-dooris manually grasped and the door is drawn to its closed position overthe opening in the face plate, the'catch rides past the latch and theshoulders of the catch and latch engage each other and thus lock thedoor in its closed position.

It is to be understood that I have shown one form of carryin myinvention into effect and that such changes may be made in the structureof. the switch cover and support as are warranted by the scope of theapnded claims; v

- What I desire to claim is:

1. A device of the pharacter described comprising a face plate provided.with an a spring, controlled door provided with ears having parallelarms, brackets to which the parallel arms are pivoted, a catch carriedby one of said parallel arms, a locking member carried by one of said'brackets and having a latch to engage the catch to ing member towardtheswitch box normally holds the the switch levers is 44-forces thelockhold the door in the opening, means for releasing the latch from thecatch, and means for swinging the door from the opening.

2. A device of the character described, comprising a face plate providedwith an opening, a spring controlled door provided with ears havingparallel arms, brackets to which the parallel arms are pivoted, a catchcarried by one of said parallel arms, a locking member carrie by one ofsaid brackets and having a latch to engage the catch to hold the door inthe opening, a lock provided with a cam adapted to release the latchfrom the catch, and means for swinging the door from the opening.

3. A device of the character descibed comprising a face plate providedwith an opening, a spring controlled door provided with ears havingparallel arms, brackets to which the parallel arms are pivoted, a catchcarried by one of said parallel arms, a locking member carried by ing alatch'to engage the catch to hold the door in 'said opening, a lockprovided with a cam adapted to release the latch from-the catch, andsprings arranged to swing the door from the opening.

4. A 'device of the character described, comprising a face plateprovided with an opening, a spring controlled door provided with earshavin parallel arms, brackets to which-the para el arms are pivoted, acatch carried by one of said parallel arms, a spring pressed lockingmember carried by one of said brackets and having a latch to engage thecatch to hold the door in the opening, a lock provided with a camadapted to engage the spring pressed-locking member to release the latchfrom the catch,- and springs arranged to swing the doorfrom the opening.

5. A device of the character described, comprising a faceplate providedwith an opening, a sprin controlled door for the opening, a pivota therear of the face plate, a spring pressed locking member for holding thedoor in the opening, a lock operated cam to releasethe locking memberfrom the door, and springs tending to swing ing to the rear of the faceplate on said pivotal support whereby when the cam releases the lockingmember, the door swmgs from the opening, and when the door 1s manuallydrawn back over the opening, the spring pressed door and holds it.

6. A device of the character described, comprising a face plate providedwith an opening, switch mechanism carried by the face plate andaccessible through said opening, door movingthe door fromthe openingsubstantially to the rear of the face plate and out of' alignment withthe switch support for the door at i the door from the openlookingmember .grips the for the opening, and means for 3 Io plate and in theotherin a position mechanism with the exception of a 7 a In a device ofthe character described.

5 a face plate provided with an opening, a

door for said opening, means pivotally mounting said door for movementso that in one extreme position it lies with its'face substantiallyflush with one face of t e face 0 uncover said opening with a portion ofone edge projecting on the face side of said plate, means biasing saiddoor to the latter ition and means including a stationary porl5 tion onthe plate for locking the door in its 1 first named position.

8. A device of the character described, comprising a face plate providedwith an opening, switch mechanism in the rear of the face plate andaccessible through said opening, a door for the opening, means forsupporting the door in the opening to close the same, said means beingso arranged that the door may be opened by being moved to a positionsubstantially at the rear of the face plate and at one side .of theopening with a portion thereof in a position to be manually grasped'atthe openingin the face plate for closing the door.

In testimo y whereof I afiix my signature.

WILLIAM J. NEWTON.

